In Little School for the 2024-2025 academic year, we have focused on further strengthening our Student Success Team, instilling the 4 C’s in our students with our new lunchroom in the Cohen Center, continuing our commitment to growth in literacy, bringing back the popular Continental Math League in December, and more.
TEAMWORK
STUDENT SUCCESS
Our Student Success Team, led by Director of Student Success Services Sybille Bruun Moss, Ph.D, is comprised of learning specialists, our school psychologist Alana Resnick, Ph.D., Associate Head of School and Director of the Arts Amelia Gold, and Assistant Head of Lower School Natasha Pronga, who work together to create action plans and strategies to help students reach their highest potential.
LEARNING SPECIALISTS
Little School has two learning specialists, allowing us to place students in appropriate flexible groupings according to skill level and accelerate student progress. With the help of new teaching models created, our faculty is able to accelerate students across the grade level in both math and literacy. Using flexible grouping and pre-accessing in math, faculty have the freedom to regroup students in a dynamic and thoughtful way to ensure students are being both supported and challenged academically.
Community
FAMILY VISITING DAYS
During Little School Family Visiting Days, families are invited to connect with our Head of School, Marek Beck, Ph.D., Director of Student Success Services Sybille Bruun Moss Ph.D., Head of Middle School Jed Silverstein Ph.D., and Associate Head of School and Director of the Arts Amelia Gold, regarding the impact of the personalized approach for teaching and learning at Little School.
Families visit their child’s class and experience the inspirational teaching firsthand. After the class, families have the opportunity to discuss this transformational experience with Dr. Beck, Dr. Bruun Moss, Ms. Gold, and the Little School faculty. Dr. Silverstein shares the impact of the Little School experience on our students’ journeys to Morrow House, high school, and beyond.
Assembly Celebrations
All students and faculty in Little School participate in a weekly assembly. It’s an opportunity for students to share their learning with the entire division. Recent assemblies have included our first graders presenting on their Apple unit that included the results of their Apple Bake Sale, which raised money for the Center of Food Action; the November election and how voting works in the country, state, and towns, and the announcement of the winners of our annual Little School Caldecott Cafe, where our second graders become Caldecott judges and vote on 10 previous winners of the Caldecott Award. In addition, our family affinity groups have shared their cultural heritage through dance, song, and presentations, including celebrating Latinx Heritage Month, Hangeul Day, and Diwali, with more to come in the new year. Assembly begins with our Little School community reciting a poem about the 4 C’s created by music teacher Emily Spaeth and concluding with everyone linked up arm-to-arm singing our “The Apple Tree Song.”
Enriching Young Minds
FOCUS ON LITERACY
Little School has continued our commitment to growth in literacy. All students experience literacy for one hour and a half every day. During this period of time, students across each grade level split into multiple flexible groups to ensure students are learning at the highest level possible. Each grade level has upwards of three distinct groups. First and second-grade teachers experienced a professional learning workshop on Geodes to further enhance the learning experience for our students.
MATH LEAGUE RETURNS
Students in second grade through sixth grade will have the opportunity to participate in the Continental Math League (CML), starting in December. The CML is a prestigious national program and competition that offers a unique platform for students nationwide to engage in higher-level mathematical thinking and problem-solving. As students continue to learn and grow in this program, they will have the opportunity to match their skills against peers at the same grade level from across the country.
FOLLOWING THE 4 C’S DURING LUNCH
Little School has a new lunchroom! Students eat lunch each day together in the Cohen Center with their grades. They are focusing on social-emotional learning while developing independence, self-management skills, and how to show kindness while practicing table manners.
Exploring Spanish
A new curriculum for our Spanish program called, ”Sonrisas,” is designed to create meaningful engagement and encourage students to use Spanish through conversation and sharing information. Each lesson integrates songs, art, and movement activities, allowing students to explore the language in an interactive and enjoyable way.
Did You Know?
Our third graders study how the environment affects the way people live with an immersive trip to Winakung at Waterloo Village, a native Lenape woodland forest. This experience helps them understand what life was like for these Native Americans hundreds of years ago. This sparked interest in researching various aspects of their lives to share with the Little School community during assembly.
Emily Spaeth was once again accepted into the Music Educators Workshop program at Carnegie Hall, which only accepts 100 teachers from the entire tri-state area. She has been part of the program since 2021.
The fourth-grade students are creating a student-led club fair to create clubs in Little School. Students will present their ideas to the grade level and will collaborate with faculty and administration to bring their unique ideas to fruition.
Save the Date
Our third- and fourth-grade recess chorus has been invited to perform at this year’s Tenafly Holiday Fair, taking place at 3:30 p.m., Dec. 14, at Peace Plaza in Tenafly.
LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR VISION AND GOALS FOR THE FUTURE OF EMS
Important 2024–2025 State of the School topics include updates from Little School and Morrow House, as well as Advancement, Auxiliary Programs, Communications and Marketing, Enrollment, Facilities and Operations, Finances, and Community Life, Equity, and Belonging.
